Web of Lies
by Mille.Falcon
Summary: Frankie knew two things for certain. One, she absolutely hated pineapple on pizza and two, her best friend was most definitely keeping a secret from her. Both facts irked her equally as much as the other so it was simple. She was going to get the truth whether Peter Parker liked it or not. Frankie just hoped that both of them could avoid getting hurt in the process. Post Homecoming
1. Secrets

If there were two things that Frankie Dustin was deadset certain of right now, it would be her absolute undying hatred of pineapple on pizza and the fact that her best mate of 7 years was most definitely hiding something from her. A secret which he had yet to let her in on despite their best friend code of no secrets. He was always the worst liar so it was no surprise that she was able to pick up so quickly that there was something more going on in the life of Peter Parker. What really annoyed her though, were her suspicions that Ned was somehow apart of the whole thing too. They were always whispering when they thought she didn't notice and she knew it all had to be connected somehow to the way that Peter was ditching school and coming back the next day with a shiner or some other sort of injury. It worried her. Her patience was running painfully thin in the hope that maybe he would actually come clean to her on his own and tell her the truth behind his constant disappearing acts as of late. But Parker was too stubborn for his own good so it seemed like the frustrated ginger would have to take matters into her own hands and squeeze the information out of him. Luckily for her, Frankie knew she could be pretty intimidating when she wanted to be and invasive. _Incredibly_ invasive. One should never underestimate her five foot two gangly frame. Peter had once and he immediately paid the consequences for it.

"So spill." Were her abrupt words as Frankie plonked herself right across from her two and only amigos, Peter and Ned. Despite the edge in her commanding voice she was the complete picture of nonchalance as she rummaged through her lunchbox and picked up an apple. She chomped at it pronouncedly while eyeing off the two in expectation, catching them wholly off guard just as she intended.

"Uh...Sorry what?" Peter the dork replied dumbly, his eyes wide and brows furrowed in confusion. Frankie just rolled her eyes and took another chunk out of her apple.

"Don't think I haven't noticed. You haven't been really subtle. The both of you actually." She said pointedly gesturing towards the two in accusation. And just to prove her point, their reactions were almost immediately guilty as they both tried their best to pose themselves as the picture of innocence. They failed incredibly.

"We- We're not- "

"I have no idea what- "

Peter stuttered out his words spectacularly and Ned was doing an absolute trash job playing dumb. It was sad to see how easily she already had them in her grips.

"Please do both yourselves a favour and never follow an acting career. Seriously, what is going on with you two lately? All this secrecy that's been going on behind my back? I _do_ notice, you know? I'm not stupid." She challenged them knowingly, folding her arms down on the table. Peter turned to Ned wide eyed with a desperate 'help me' expression but his friend only seemed to make the situation worse rather than help it as he started babbling like an idiot.

"Secrets? What secrets? We're not hiding anything. Why would you think that? This isn't like some spy movie where we live a secret double life and stuff, like _that_ could ever happen- ow!" Ned yelped as Peter not so subtly kicked his shins underneath the table.

" _Shut_. Up. Ned." Peter remarked lowly under his breath. Frankie just stared at their ridiculous behaviour, her left eyebrow raised in utter disbelief.

"Okay right, _this_ is what I'm talking about! You guys are acting _so_ sketchy. Seriously what the hell is going on? Whatever it is I won't judge, I promise." She assured them earnestly hoping they finally might fess up. She was their best friend for god's sake! She shouldn't have to pry these things in the first place. She looked on as the two teenage boys seemed to share a private conversation right in front of her with their eyes. It was hard to decode but it looked like they were debating with each other about whether to let her in on their deep dark secret or whatever. Ned seemed to have the urge to tell her but Peter immediately cut his decision off with a quick shake of the head. He sighed in disappointment, not agreeing with his friend's decision but relenting nonetheless. They've had this argument many times before but in actual verbal conversation. Each time seemed to yield the same result and it frustrated Ned to no end. Stupid stubborn Parker.

"Guys? Come on just tell me! What am I? Chopped liver!" The ginger prompted. The two just kept looking back and forth at her silently, not sure what to say. The tension was rising awkwardly in the prolonged stillness and it was starting to get a bit much for Frankie. She thought by now she would at least get something out of them, being their best friend since elementary and all, but their sudden muteness was now beginning to weigh her down a bit with hurt. They weren't going to tell her and it _sucked_.

"Um. Okay I see how it is then." She murmured softly, her head bowing down to stare at the scratches and graffiti on the table. All her recent bravado just seemed to deflate in one instant and it made Peter's face and stomach fall knowing that he was the reason for Frankie's out of character look of defeat. He was _hurting_ her and that, that was killing him. But he couldn't tell her the truth. He just couldn't- he had to keep her safe. But he couldn't just let her think that she wasn't important enough to him either.

"Hey it's not like that Frankie. Not at all. It's just... _guy stuff_ you know? Stuff you don't want to know about. There's no need to worry. Honestly." He reassured her, trying to catch her eyes as he rested his hand on top of hers as a comforting gesture. She looked up at him, attempting to read his eyes to see if they could somehow give her some answers. All she could see was a slight heaviness in them, small dark circles underneath that would go unnoticed by most people...but not to her.

"That's just the thing Peter, I _do_ worry. I mean, you're not acting like yourself lately and I need to make sure you're okay. That the _both_ of you are okay." She stressed out, concern dripping out of her voice.

"I'm fine. We're okay." Peter promised quickly, turning his head to Ned to indicate his turn to reassure Frankie. He nodded slightly in affirmation and took his cue.

"Yeah it's all good. We're alright." Ned confirmed. The boys both looked at their friend to gage her reaction and see if she accepted their assurances. Frankie narrowed her eyes and just observed them quietly for a moment in return.

She didn't believe any of their bullshit.

She sighed, knowing that they were just doing their best to cheer her up. That didn't stop her feeling the slither of betrayal though. It was slowly creeping up her back, ready to attack and stab her when her guard was let down. She made sure to reinforce her shields, refusing to let it affect her and let her two friends see how much it brought her down. She didn't want to be one of them girls who were sensitive to everything and made a big fuss over the littlest things. She just wanted the _truth_ , was that too much to ask? Apparently. She shook her head to try and rid of her worrisome thoughts. She needed to get away before she did something stupid, something that she would regret.

"Okay. Um...cool. You know I just remembered that I was supposed to return a book back to the library. I gotta go, you know how Miss Jenkins is with overdue books..." She rambled on half-heartedly, refusing to look the two in the eye. She got up and started packing up her half-eaten lunch, zipping up her bag quickly and throwing it over her shoulder. She needed to take a breather.

"Y-You don't have to go, I'm sure Miss Jenkins can wait until after lunch." Peter tried to convince her. Frankie hesitated only for a moment but then shook her head.

"No I better go, I've been really putting it off. The librarian beast can only wait for so long." She attempted to joke with a strained smile. She was already out of her seat and heading out before they could convince her otherwise.

"Um...okay. See ya after the end of Chem?" Peter called out before she could get too far away. Frankie turned back around and gave a hesitant nod before walking away completely, her hands holding onto her bag straps tightly. As soon as she was out of sight, Peter immediately dropped his head down to the table in dismay.

" _Shit_." He whispered loudly into his arms. This was _not_ good. Not good at all.

"You know, I don't think she has an overdue book." Ned thought out loud. Peter turned to him incredulously.

"Really?" He retorted back sharply at the obvious observation. He winced as soon as he heard the bite in his own voice. Ned didn't mean anything by it. Peter was just frustrated because he knew this situation was all his fault. He pressed his hands to his eyes in stress and groaned.

"I screwed up. Screwed up bad."

Ned only quirked an eyebrow knowingly in his direction.

"Yeah. No shit Sherlock."

Peter only groaned again in response. He had some serious making up to do.


	2. Weight of the World

**AN: Hey so thank you for everyone that is following this story! I'm really excited to see how this story turns out, I'm having heaps of fun writing it. Please let me know what you think, constructed criticism is welcomed and I'd love to hear everyone's suggestions so don't be afraid to review!**

 **Thank you for Rebelllx for being he first reviewer! I hope you enjoy this next chapter.**

Frankie didn't go to the library. Instead she headed towards the one place she always went to go to clear her head; the music room. Luckily for her, nobody seemed to be occupying the room at the time and at seeing that she let out a breath of relief. Usually there was always that one stray student squeezing in extra practice time, playing their own distracting melody which would clash with her own and ruin the peace she got from immersing herself in the music. She really just needed some alone time today.

Her focus immediately switched onto the black upright piano that sat in the corner of the room. She tossed her bag next to the stool and opened the lid of the piano to reveal the ebony and ivory keys spread out before her, just waiting to be touched. The stool beneath her creaked as she adjusted her position to play. It was all automatic for Frankie as she pressed down on the keys gently, a soft eerie tune enveloping the air. Einaudi was her constant go-to, the melody of 'I Giorni' had been long since memorised back to front, being one of her favourites. It was a simple piece but familiar and it allowed her to just let her mind be free of the never ending concerns the world constantly laid upon her shoulders. It was here she could be in her bubble, detached from anything and everything that might burden her. But sometimes it could be hard to keep the bubble sustained. An image of Peter hurt, battered with bruises somehow slipped into her mind and her finger slipped down accidentally playing the wrong key. The dissonant sound broke the bubble she was trying so desperately to compose and she grew immensely frustrated at her mistake. She slammed her hands down on the keys as if it would solve all her problems. It didn't.

"Hey now, what has the piano ever done to deserve such an assault?" A voice broke out lightly. Frankie instantly whipped her head around in embarrassment at being caught out. Her cheeks blushed when she saw the curious face of Mr Baker looking at her with his arms crossed and a nice friendly smile on his face.

"S-Sorry Mr Baker. I didn't realise you came in." She explained to the music teacher, slightly chastened.

"No need to apologise, I noticed that you seemed to be a bit distracted. Beautiful piece you were playing, it's a shame that you stopped." He commented warmly crossing over the room and sitting at a chair closer to her.

"Thanks. It's a Ludovico Einaudi piece I learned a while ago. I know it like the back of my hand now. One of my favourites." She expressed as her eyes fell down onto the piano, her fingers tracing the outlines of the keys.

"I can see why. Not that I don't love hearing you play during lunch Frankie, but aren't you usually with your friends at this time?" Mr Baker openly enquired with intrigue. The ginger girl tensed up slightly at the question and it did not go unnoticed by the observant music teacher. Frankie shortly sighed to release all the tension in her body, her shoulders relaxing only minutely before she answered.

"I just needed to clear my head a bit, sir. My friends..." She trailed off casting her gaze away from the teacher in deep thought but then she kind of snapped out of her trance and shook her head. Mr Baker waited patiently in silence to allow her time to finish her thoughts. After a few seconds the girl made eye contact with him again and proceeded with a bit more confidence. "Mr Baker, have you ever had a close friend keep secrets from you?"

The teacher blinked in surprise at the unexpected question posed to him. He allowed himself a moment to think the question through before he jumped to an answer. He let out a long breath as he considered what to say.

"Yes, I have. Is this to do with one of your friends?" He pried gently. Frankie shook her head in response.

"No. Not exactly...Were you mad that they were keeping secrets?" She questioned further interested in what he had to say. Mr Baker was a fairly level-headed man from what Frankie had seen. Many students were quite fond of the kind teacher because of his openly calm demeanour and the respect he had for his students. Frankie valued his opinion very much having grown deep respect for the teacher over the years she's had him for music class. He might be considered young for a teacher but Mr Baker had wisdom beyond his years that many would envy.

"I guess I was slightly hurt. It's not exactly a pleasant feeling having secrets kept from you, but then again I kinda realised that when the time would be right they would eventually confide with me. Besides people are entitled to have their own secrets." He professed hoping it helped Frankie in some way. She frowned as she took in what he said, agreeing with most of it but still not fully appeased.

"What if- What if your friend was getting hurt because of their secret though?" She asked biting her lip in worry. Mr Baker looked at his student in sudden concern.

"Is everything alright Frankie? Is there something I should know about?"

Frankie's eyes widened when she saw his slight worry and quickly backtracked.

"No! No it's nothing. Just hypothetical. That's all." She reassured him but Mr Baker wasn't buying it, she could tell. A sudden abrupt ring filled the air and Frankie took that as her chance to make a quick getaway.

"Sorry Mr B I gotta go otherwise I'll run late for class." She excused herself as she got up and grabbed her bag. Mr Baker nodded knowing that he wouldn't be able to continue their conversation. She got about half-way out the door before he called out to her.

"Frankie? Just take care of that friend of yours. People may have secrets but if you think it's harmful then maybe find a way to help. Be a friend." He advised seriously. She paused then nodded slowly back at him.

"Don't worry, sir. I will."

And with that she left for her next class, the weight of the world still on her shoulders but at least this time she had a bit of clarity.


	3. Unexpected Sleepover

Ever since Frankie could remember, she would meet up with Peter everyday after school and they would walk home together. It was just a known fact, like the sky was blue, water was wet and Tony Stark was Iron Man. But lately, ever since Peter started acting weird, she had found herself having to walk the streets alone more often. At first she didn't mind, knowing that Peter had gotten a _Stark_ friggin internship and was busy with it quite a lot. She was happy for him, really _truly_ happy that he could experience the very thing he had dreamed of since he was just a ten year old kid. Unfortunately she knew that Peter had only just lost said internship recently. She knew because she remembered the complete and utter devastation he carried with him for days because of it. It was heartbreaking to witness actually. So the question still remained, why did he hardly ever walk with her anymore? Especially now since he had the time? Just another thing Frankie had to worry about in that thumping head of hers.

"Hey Frankie! Wait up!"

The subject of her thoughts called out. She turned around in surprise, not expecting to see Peter. There he was, jogging up to her with his hair flying about and backpack dancing up and down behind him. She stopped in place on the pathway to allow him to catch up.

"Hey! I thought we said we would meet up after Chem?" Were his first words as he tagged alongside her, heading towards the same direction to get home. Frankie's eyebrows were raised in astonishment.

"Yeah you say that but most of the time you never show. I used to wait for _ages_ hoping you would come Peter, but now it's just gotten to the point where I can't keep waiting up for you anymore." She stated matter of factly, looking ahead as she shrugged her shoulders to readjust her bag straps. Peter's face instantly dropped in guilt only just realising now that he had been neglecting Frankie a lot lately, to the point where she no longer held faith in what he said anymore. With everything that happened recently with the Vulture and Mr Stark, he was totally distracted from the fact that he had been literally ditching his best friend for weeks on end. _Man_ was he a complete douche.

"Oh Frankie I am so _so_ sorry! I didn't even- oh man I've been the shittiest friend lately haven't I?" He admitted sorrowfully, head bowed down in regret as he walked. Frankie sighed as she saw the downtrodden face of her amigo.

"It's okay Pete, I know you've been going through a lot lately. I don't know exactly what it is but I _do_ know what you look like when you're sad or stressed or- _hell_ I even know what it looks like when you have the whole world upon your shoulders! And I see it Peter, I _see_ it. I don't care that you've been ditching me lately, I care about _you_. And I just want to help lift whatever burden that has suddenly come upon your shoulders because that's what friends _do_."

Her heart was still pounding as she finished up her little speech. All her pent up emotions just seemed to bleed out into her words as she spoke and she couldn't stop them even if she tried. She ignored the slight hitch in her voice and shiny glaze in her eyes and instead took a deep breath to calm her heart down. Peter stared at her with an unreadable expression, taken back by her unexpected sincere words. Without knowing, they had stopped at some point in their conversation, both staring at each other nervously but for different reasons.

"I-I seriously don't deserve a friend like you Frankie..." Peter whispered truthfully. Frankie's head snapped up at that

"Hey don't say that-"

"But its true." Peter interrupted quickly before she could defend him. "Like I said before, I've been the worst friend ever. Seriously, after the way I've been acting most people would just walk away and never speak to me again but _you_ \- you do the complete opposite and start comforting me instead! If anything I should be the one comforting you for being such a total _dick_ \- " Peter stopped midway as he spotted a small smile growing on Frankie's face and it made him completely falter for some reason. His palms became sweaty all of a sudden and mouth bone dry. He let out a quick breath that almost sounded like a nervous laugh before he continued on again. "- but honestly if there is anything I can do, _anything_ to make it up to you just say the word." He vowed openly, his eyes conveying as much genuineness as he wholly felt. Frankie fully smiled, accepting his form of an apology.

"Yeah okay." She breathed out nodding her head at him as she continued on in her journey home. Peter followed along with her, his hands shoved down into his jean pockets as he walked. Frankie's steps grew a bit lighter as her heart no longer felt so weighed down with the worry that her friend was trying to avoid her. He still cared for her and that was exactly just what she needed to know. As they walked along their conversation became much more lighthearted, chatting about their teachers and the growing pile of their school work.

"-ugh I swear I'm already falling behind in homework and we're not even halfway through the first term! Just kill me now Peter. _Please_. Put me out of my misery already!" Frankie ranted off dramatically as Peter rolled his eyes at her.

"Don't worry, you're not the only one. I'm seriously terrified to approach the mounting monster of practice questions that Mrs Noble slammed on us in English Lit." He admitted, producing an over exaggerated shudder to emphasise his point.

"Peter Parker? Behind in school? What is this, some kind of parallel universe?" The ginger joked drily, her words flavoured with a hint of disbelief. Peter shook his head at her in amusement.

"Well we all can't be perfect I'm afraid." He sighed playfully, making it his excuse. Silence was only met to his statement and Peter paused in confusion at the sudden quietness from his friend. He looked to the side and sheepishly realised that his walking buddy was no longer next to him. Instead, she was a few metres behind staring in awe across the street at a billboard.

"No way!" She exclaimed excitedly a grin beaming across her face. Peter frowned curiously heading towards Frankie to see what she was fussing about.

"What is it?" He queried, taking a glance at the billboard she was gawking at. It didn't tell him much, only that there was an upcoming concert for some music composer.

" _Ludovico Einaudi_ is coming to New York! He's like my inspiration, his music is just- just- there's no words to describe it! Oh my god I have to see when the tickets go on sale!" She blabbered on like a total fangirl. Peter in _no way_ found it cute at all the way her eyes were lit up like Christmas and how she was smiling like a loon. Nope. Not even slightly. And it was _definitely_ in no way adorable the way she animatedly babbled on in an enthusiastic blissful high. The self-denying teenager couldn't hide his smile if he wanted to but he was definitely trying his best to conceal the unexpected heat that was flowing to his cheeks. _Thankfully_ Frankie was too busy looking down at her phone to notice.

"Shit." Frankie's excitement all of sudden died down as she stared at her phone, her eyes instantly saddening..

"What the matter?" Peter interrupted with concern, seeing if could help. She sighed, her heart falling a little as reality hit her like a brick wall.

"I'm _never_ gonna be able to afford a ticket. They're not cheap, like _really_ not cheap and they on sale in like only a week. I'm not going to be able to save enough money in time." She answered disappointedly. Frankie knew her and her dad were only just scraping the bottom financially so it basically was a given that she wouldn't be able to go to the concert. The knowledge still didn't stop it from sucking though.

Peter looked down thoughtfully, trying to think of a way to solve his friend's dilemma.

"Y-You know I could lend you the money if you'd like? Think of it as an early Christmas present." He offered, more than willing give it to her especially with the way he had been treating her as of late. Frankie immediately shook her head at the suggestion.

"It's _October_ Peter. I think that's cutting it a bit too early don't you think? Besides I can't accept it anyway. You know as well I do that you're just as broke as me. Thank you though." She said to him sincerely.

A chime suddenly filled the air which prompted Frankie to take a look at her phone to see a new message. A tired sigh escaped her lips as she read the text from her dad saying he'd be home late.

"Everything okay?" Peter asked noticing his friend's reaction to the new message she just got. Frankie sent a quick reply to her dad then shoved her phone back in her pocket to talk to Peter.

"Yeah it's fine. Dad's just working a late night shift again...um...would you and your aunt mind me staying over for the night? I just don't really like being home alone..." She asked insecurely, not quite sure whether it was too much to ask. Normally Frankie would have no worries asking about staying the night with the amount of times the two best friends had sleepovers growing up, but it felt like it had been ages since she stayed at Peter's place that she didn't know where she stood about it.

"Yeah- yeah! That's fine. Of course it's fine! Aunt May loves having you over." Peter reassured quickly. Frankie let a breath of relief that she didn't even know she was holding.

"Thanks Pete."

Peter shook his head and nudged her shoulder playfully.

"It's no problem." He smiled at her comfortingly. Frankie couldn't help but smile back, her mood instantly lifted. His grin was just too contagious.

"Ah sleepovers...just like the good old times eh?" Frankie reminisced cheerfully, her head tilted up slightly.

"Yep! Pizza and pyjamas, staying up until the crack the dawn and sneaking May's hidden chocolate stash out of the fridge at midnight while stuffing ourselves silly! Oh how those were the days!"

Peter smiled in accomplishment when he saw Frankie laughed out loud at his enthusiastic yet accurate description of their late night escapades when they were eleven.

"Oh man! Remember that time she almost killed us when we accidentally got chocolate stains on her brand new throw rug?" She finished off with a burst of laughter, her body tilted slightly over as she held her stomach in mirth. Peter followed along with her, chuckling at the memory.

"And we tried to clean it ourselves but ended up making the washing machine explode in suds! I swear I had soap coming out of my ears for weeks!" He added on. Frankie's laughing continued on remembering the picture of their twelve year old selves so clearly, all covered up in foamy bubbles frantically trying to turn the malfunctioning machine off.

"We got in _so_ much trouble. I swear I've never seen May's face so red before! I still reckon you're the one to blame for all of that." Frankie accused playfully.

"Me?! You were the one that put a _whole_ box of powder in the machine!" Peter defended righteously.

"Yeah, but _you_ were the one that got the chocolate on the rug in the first place!" The ginger girl counteracted.

Their banter continued the rest of the way home, each bringing up and recalling situations where they got into trouble and blaming each other for the culprits of causes.

"-okay but you know as well as I do that _that_ was in no way my fault, it was totally _Ned's_." Frankie mentioned as they walked through the door to Peter's apartment.

"Yeah, okay. You've got me there." Peter conceded, chucking his bag next to the door as he entered. The two were so absorbed in their conversation that they didn't even notice Aunt May sitting on the couch.

"Peter how many times have I said to you about leaving your damn bag there- oh hello there Frankie!" May welcomed in surprise, not having seen the young girl in a while. Frankie smiled and walked up to her to give her a hug hello.

"Hey Aunt May! Long time no see." She greeted back.

"I'll say. Far too long I reckon, is my nephew trying to hide you from me or something? And whats with this 'Aunt' business, you know how old that makes me feel?" She chastised good-naturedly, pulling away from the girl's embrace.

"Yeah I know. That's why I do it." Frankie teased cheekily. May's eyebrows rose at her sudden cheek, crossing her arms while slightly jutting out her hip.

"Okay then, Miss Smart Ass. Guess who's not having some of my delicious homemade banana bread then?" She threatened with a small smile, heading towards the kitchen to proudly show off her creation. Frankie fake pouted in response but inwardly cheered at being able to avoid one of May's disaster baking experiments.

"Aw too bad. At least there'll be plenty for Peter." She smartly commented, smirking at her friend knowingly. Peter went wide-eyed almost immediately, mouthing 'no' frantically to her over and over again. Frankie's smile only grew more. "...in fact I'm sure he's just _dying_ to try some."

He glared at her for being such a little shit but Frankie just shrugged, having no remorse whatsoever. He huffed at her for being so _extremely_ unhelpful at that moment.

"A-Actually Aunt May I think I might pass. I had a pretty big lunch today. Frankie and I are just going to head my room and study, okay?" He explained already edging towards his room and further away from the banana bread his Aunt was already slicing up to serve. May shook his head at his behaviour. Sometimes she forgot how childish her nephew could be.

"Alright. Your loss..." She shrugged, picking up a piece of bread and eating it. "...mmm. That is some good stuff- oh Frankie I forgot to ask, are you staying over for dinner tonight?" May asked before she took another bite.

"Actually would it be alright if I stayed the night? Otherwise I'll be home alone, my dad's working late tonight. Peter said you wouldn't mind..." Frankie replied, fidgeting slightly on the spot.

"Of course you can stay! You're always welcome here, you know that Frankie." May spoke back warmly with a conviction that made Frankie felt all warm and loved inside. She smiled politely at her in a thank you.

"Yeah I know, thanks May. Just making sure." She replied back, nodding her head towards Peter's room to indicate where she was going. Her and Peter were about half way in the room when May called out to them teasingly.

"Remember no shenanigans you two! Doors always open!"

They both simultaneously groaned in embarrassment, Peter hitting his head purposely on the edge of his door frame.

" _For_ _god's_ _sake_..."

" _Really May?!"_

The conniving aunt only laughed out loudly in pure amusement, shaking her head at the two oblivious teenagers.


	4. Shirtless

**AN: Hey everyone! Sorry for this chapter for taking a bit longer, my life has been a bit hectic at the moment so I have been super busy! Thank you for all the lovely reviews, the more the merrier! I love getting all your opinions and feedback, good or bad, so don't hesitate to review! Thank you for everyone who is following this story and I hope you guys enjoy this next chapter :)**

Frankie stared down blankly at the indecipherable words in front of her, re-reading them over and over again but not taking any of it in. Her pen tapped rhythmically against the pages of her book as she bit her lip in an effort to concentrate. Peter would glance up every now and then from his homework to observe her and see how long she would last before she would inevitably give up out of pure boredom. He knew Frankie pretty well and had seen the numerous amount of times that she called it quits half-way through doing a task. She was quite the professional procrastinator, granted a lot of students were but Frankie could take the trophy for the most last-minute handed in projects. Yet somehow she could still manage to get a decent grade in her classes. Frankie had lovingly called this skill of hers 'A+ bullshitting' in passing conversation. Peter couldn't really disagree with the apt title but he did get a little bit frustrated with his best friend for the fact that he knew she could be doing so much better if she just put her mind to it. She was definitely way smarter than she made out to be. He just wished she would believe it as much as he did.

"Ugh okay. There's only so much I can stare at this page before my brain gets turned to mush." Frankie groaned, slamming her pen down onto her work book. She stretched out the slight stiffness in her arms and neck that she got courtesy of the position she was in; head on her hands whilst belly down on the carpeted floor. Peter looked up from his work only to frown seeing Frankie's barely touched physics homework.

"You've only done the first two questions."

"Alright Mr Judgy." She retorted with an arched eyebrow. "I've done some English as well! Physics is just not really my thing, you know that. Too much of it and I'll die of an aneurysm, I'm sure of it. It's scientifically proven."

Peter rolled his eyes at her exaggerated comment but put his arms up in a sign of truce.

"Just trying to help. You know all you have to do is ask and I can give you a few pointers to help you out. I've already memorised the theorems and finished those questions yesterday." He offered.

Frankie considered it for a moment but ended up just shaking her head.

"Thanks but nah. I'm good. I might take you up on that later though...I'm gonna go take a snack break, you want anything?" She said as she got up to leave.

Peter shook his head, deciding to continue the rest of his school work while he had the time. He might as well catch up when he could, seeing as the majority of his schedule was taken up by Spider-Man patrol. Frankie nodded in acknowledgment then went to kitchen to scrummage something to eat. In her journey to the cupboard she came across the sight of May squinting down at her phone on the kitchen bench as she positioned her knife over some chicken thigh almost a bit hesitantly or unsure.

"What's cooking?" Frankie asked as she sauntered over curiously. May jumped slightly not realising that she had come in as she was too focused trying to figure out this new recipe she was trying out.

"I'm attempting to whip up some chicken tikka masala. Not sure how well it is going considering I can't even figure out exactly how big I'm meant to cut the chicken..."

"Ooo. Yum! I love Indian food! Don't worry too much over how big to cut them, all that matters is that they're all roughly same size so that they cook evenly." Frankie informed as she grabbed a packet of chips from the pantry to eat.

"Well don't you sound ever the chef." May commented with a smile and a slight teasing tone.

"What can I say? My dad can't cook to save his life so someone has to learn to make dinner that doesn't end up burnt to a crisp. It's not a flavour you can get used to. Trust me I know." She explained with a mouthful of salt and vinegar chips as she sat across the other side of the bench on a breakfast stool. May laughed lightly at the girl's dry sense of humour, shaking her head at her muffled messy speech. That girl sure was one of a kind.

"How is your dad by the way? Still working hard I'm guessing."

Frankie swallowed her mouthful of food as she nodded her head slowly at May, her mood diminishing a little.

"Yeah. He's...alright I guess. Haven't actually been able to see him as much lately. Work has been a nightmare for him but dad said there's nothing much he can really do about it. Work is work and it pays the bills. That's his mantra at the moment." She answered with a small shrug, reaching for another mouthful of chips.

May looked on sympathetically at Frankie, knowing the girl was suffering more than she let on. Poor kid. Her dad was the only family she had and not being able to see him much must've been doing quite a number on her. Knowing Frankie though, May knew not to push the topic any further. The teenager did not really like to delve too deeply into her own personal problems. She'd rather pretend to be okay even when she wasn't just so she wouldn't be a burden to others. It was selfless but also incredibly unnecessary.

"Oh that's too bad, honey. You know you're more than welcome to stay here anytime. If you ever feel lonely or if Chris ends up having to work late there's always a free bed and some homemade dinner for you here." May assured kindly looking at her in such a motherly way. Frankie had always held a special place within May's heart, having known the girl since she was still just in pigtails playing pretend with Peter. She remembered fondly the times when the cute little ginger girl would insist on making a pillow fort every single time she came over so that they could play knights and princesses. It was completely and utterly hilarious when her and Ben would observe the multiple times that Frankie would bossily argue with Peter about being the knight, forcing the poor boy into a tiara and tutu whilst she proudly held up her cardboard sword. Those two had been inseparable ever since the day they met and it was nice see something back to normal again after having to deal with the knowledge of her nephew's double life as a part-time superhero.

"Thanks May, that- it really means a lot." Frankie replied sincerely, really grateful for the generosity from the woman she pretty much viewed as a mother. She finished up the rest of her chips and got up from the breakfast stool to give May a side hug. May smiled wrapping her arms around the sweet girl and patting her lightly on the back. Her contentment didn't last long as she spotted the news displayed on the tv out of the corner of eye. Her body tensed and smile disappeared as she caught a glimpse of her nephew in his full red and blue get-up swinging right into danger in what seemed to be a bank heist. Frankie frowned as she felt her tense up.

"Everything alright May?" She pulled back and looked at her face to see that May had turned slightly pale and her gaze fixated on the tv playing in the background. Her worry was quite evident as she paid attention to every word that was being said in the news report. Frankie turned her head towards the television to see what piqued May's concern. When she saw Queen's one and only favourite superhero swing into view her interest aroused instantly as she too became invested in the live report.

"Oh cool! I've never seen Spider-Man live before. I've only ever watched the YouTube videos. His fail vids are hilarious." She commented brightly, enraptured as she saw the hero suddenly break out of the bank following some goon, his webs shooting out and grabbing the robber by the leg. The man was caught by surprise as he face planted down onto the concrete path and Spidey made good use of this time to wrap the criminal up in his webbing, all prepped and ready to be arrested by the NYPD.

"Can you imagine being able to do that? How sweet would it be to have superpowers!"

May looked to the side towards Peter's door noticing that it was closed, just as she expected.

"Yeah I can imagine." She sighed tiredly, going back to chopping the rest of the chicken. Frankie frowned as she noticed May's weariness but didn't say anything about it. She grabbed a knife out of the kitchen draw and snatched up a tomato in front of May.

"You need some help?" She asked despite already starting to dice the fruit up, her knife going up and down with practiced ease.

"Well I guess I can't say no since you've already started." May answered playfully. The girl smiled cheekily.

"Kinda the point. I knew you'd want to do it by yourself but face it May, if I don't help, dinner would most likely be inedible and then we'd do the usual and order Thai."

May let out a noise of surprise at the girl's bluntness but a smile grew nonetheless. She didn't take any offence, especially since she knew that her words were true and could see the humour in it.

"Alright that's enough cheek from you missy." May pointed her knife in Frankie's direction in fake stern. Frankie laughed at her reaction.

"No promises."

They continued to cook the rest of dinner, Frankie giving handy tips here and there, preventing May from creating any disaster in the kitchen. They chatted happily throughout, putting some music on halfway through to dance and sing to as they cooked. Since most of dinner was done and prepared, Frankie trusted that she could leave May for a few minutes without dinner exploding. She headed towards Peter's room to let him him know dinner was ready, opening the door without even realising that it had been closed after she left him for food.

"Just call me an angel because I just saved us from- uhhh?" Frankie trailed off as she opened the door to see none other than her best friend Peter Parker stripped down to his Captain America boxers, body fully and completely exposed. Not to mention that he was completely _ripped_. What the hell?! His eyes grew wide in response and arms flailed around his body to desperately try to cover his dignity as he attempted to subtly kick his suit under the bed. Luckily Frankie was too distracted by his shirtlessness to notice the red and blue swaddled suit on the ground. Speaking of which...

"Frankie! Do you _mind_?!" He yelped, running over to his drawer to grab a shirt. The girl just stared dumbly watching his movements.

"You're naked..." She stated unaware that she was most certainly perving on her best friend and his newly gained muscles that she was _definitely_ not aware of until now. His back rippled slightly as he bent down to one of his lower drawers and she had to shake her head to get some semblance of thought. "Why the hell are you naked?" She demanded more like her old self, arms crossed and eyebrows raised. Peter spluttered in disbelief at her audacity.

"Why the hell are you barging into my room without knocking?" He retorted back putting a grey sweater on quickly. Frankie almost sighed in disappointment when the shirt went on. Almost.

"Alright Mr Grumpy Pants. I was only telling you that dinner was ready and that I most definitely saved us from May poisoning our food. So you can thank me later." She sassed back, not letting him give her any shit. Honestly she barged into his room all the time, well she always used to...maybe the time away made him grow less comfortable with her. She couldn't see why. A few weeks distance shouldn't wear away an entire 8 year friendship.

"May's cooking isn't that bad." Peter defended his aunt with a bit of reluctance. He knew his aunt wasn't the best of cooks but she couldn't be _that_ terrible...and a loud clang of metal followed by a colourful string of swear words just echoed from the kitchen. "Okay ignore what I just said." He took back quickly, racing out the door to see what had become of the kitchen. Frankie laughed in amusement, following closely behind. When they reached the kitchen they both stopped short, mouths wide open in disbelief at the scene before them.

A whole sea of red sauce seemed to be swamping the entire kitchen floor with May standing in a huge puddle of it. Her whole left side was splattered with what was left of the chicken tikka masala sauce, the rest of it at her feet where the cooking pot was laying upside down. She smiled sheepishly at the two, waving her right hand with the wooden spoon in the air in a ta-da like gesture.

"So...anyone in the mood for some Thai?"


End file.
